Degrees & Majors

The Middle East Institute offers an interdisciplinary major in Middle East Studies, a minor in Middle East Studies and a minor in Arabic. The major is ideal for students who want a well-rounded understanding of the Middle East along with the opportunity to study languages of the region. Students take courses on the Middle East in a variety of disciplines, including history, political science, religious studies, communication and women’s studies. Each student selects the specific courses included in his or her program of study in consultation with an MEI adviser. The MES major prepares students for graduate school or for careers in government, business, the non-profit sector or the military. For information on the degree requirements, refer to the Academic Guide. For more information about the Minor in Middle Eastern Studies, visit the Department of World Languages & Cultures website.

Philosophy teaches a person how to learn, how to think critically, how to choose from a wide range of careers and how to flourish in them. The Department of Philosophy has three areas of strength:

• Legal and Political Philosophy
• Neurophilosophy
• Kant and Post-Kantian German Philosophy

The department also offers a series of courses in applied philosophy, which allow students to develop skills with practical application in their personal, social and professional life. Courses in this area include Contemporary Moral Problems, Marriage and Family, Philosophy of Law and Business Ethics.

The Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) program helps students become familiar with and capable of contributing to ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices that are best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students will develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist, who seeks to understand how the social world operates, and the moral philosopher, who seeks to critically evaluate the social world in relation to how it ought to be. This interdisciplinary program makes use of the analytically rigorous tools of its three disciplines to promote serious thought about practical issues, allowing students to delve deep into moral, social, political and economic issues. PPE graduates contribute intelligently to public dialogue, many in positions of power in government and corporate life. The PPE program supports the Civil Discourse Forum, a student group that encourages discussion of controversial issues and is often led by PPE students. To learn more about our program’s faculty, events and related resources, go to the Philosophy, Politics and Economics homepage.

Program Information

Political science is the study of “who gets what, when, and how” in the distribution of goods and values in society and in groups. Specifically, political scientists study the determinants of such distributions, including political parties and voters, public opinion, interest groups, bureaucracies and administrative behavior, public law, international relations, international law and organizations, national security, intergovernmental relations, political behavior, political philosophy, comparative politics, public policy, and conflict.  Students may specialize in any of the five fields of the discipline: American politics and government, comparative politics, international politics, political theory, and public policy and administration. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.

Program Information

Political science is the study of “who gets what, when, and how” in the distribution of goods and values in society and in groups. Specifically, political scientists study the determinants of such distributions, including political parties and voters, public opinion, interest groups, bureaucracies and administrative behavior, public law, international relations, international law and organizations, national security, intergovernmental relations, political behavior, political philosophy, comparative politics, public policy, and conflict. Students may specialize in any of the five fields of the discipline: American politics and government, comparative politics, international politics, political theory, and public policy and administration. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.